Tangled 2- Split Ends
by Kristenapp97
Summary: Corona is finally at peace after the return of the lost princess. Years later, Rapunzel and Eugene's son Chance is a rather adventurous boy who thinks that the royal life doesn't suit him. He flees from home seeking refuge from a life as king, and in the process meets an orphan named Kitlyn, a young girl living in the woods. A friendship is kindled, and adventuring soon ensues...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so this is a story I wrote 2 years ago as a freshman in high school, and I decided to go back and edit it a bit (believe me, I was _not _going to post what I had written originally). The story itself is complete, but I have a few bugs to work out. I hope you all enjoy what I have so far! And give me feedback too, I would love to hear from everyone! **

**This story is kind of a "traditional" Disney-sequel story, and my take on what happened after that "wild party" after Rapunzel's return. Without further adieu, I present _Tangled 2: Split Ends._ **

* * *

The kingdom of Corona had finally found their "lost" princess. Days of partying ensued, and everyone was content. It was as if the weight of the princess's kidnapping was resting on everyone's shoulders, and her return had finally relieved them of that burden. Rapunzel and Eugene were soon happily married. It was a majestic ceremony, and guests from far and wide came to celebrate, even those nasty criminal Stabbington brothers(it was rumored that a few tears of joy may have been shed by them). Ribbons of white and floral bouquets lined the streets, and vendors prepared their carts with as much Eugene and Rapunzel merchandise they could. The castle was beautifully adorned for the event as well. Hundreds of people crammed themselves inside the large chapel to get a glimpse of the princess on her big day.

The kingdom had once again become a peaceful land. Each new day seemed to be a delightful one, and many wonderful things happened. One of these most wonderful things was the birth of Rapunzel and Eugene's son, Chance. A mystery to both his parents was the beautiful blonde hair that he had been born with. It appeared to be a souvenir of Rapunzel's past (which although somewhat haunting, still gave the princess many fond memories). He had the "smoldering" brown eyes of his father, and yet had the soft and freckled skin of his mother. His parents showered him with love and affection every day, and tried their hardest to give him everything he could ever need.

Chance was an adventurous child, and was never in one place for too long. Guards and servants usually spent a good amount of their days trying to keep up with the always-energized youngster. Although, one place he spent a bit more than others was the stables. Playing around with the palace horses was one of his favorite things to do. He would sneak apples from the palace kitchens to give to his hooved pals. His favorite horse was a stallion with sleek white fur and one heck of an attitude, named Maximus. Chance's father had introduced his son to the spunky palace horse at a very young age. Eugene told Chance of all the shenanigans Maximus caused in the past. Chance and Maximus hit it off from the start. Maximus was a loyal pal growing up for Chance. The two always seemed to get into mischief. Profanities were often shouted when the two would go bounding through the busy streets of the kingdom looking for new adventures.

Even though getting into trouble was no problem for the boy, Chance also had the ability to behave like a proper prince should. Whenever dukes and lords of surrounding lands decided to pay Corona a visit, Chance would show the upmost respect, trying to salute and bow to the best of his ability (although they often just gave a smile and patted him on the shoulder before passing him by to meet his grandfather).  
~~~~~~~~~~

There were always different people coming in and out of the palace every single day, whether they were people of high stature or simple commoners. Most people were coming to see the king, Chance's grandfather. The king was a courageous and kind man, who loved to share his time with others. After Rapunzel had been brought back to her home, no one was more elated than the king. He opened the palace up to visitors and would talk for hours with people he had never even met before. He would embark outside the palace and joke around with vendors on the streets, play games with the children, and even dance around the square whilst fiddles and flutes harmonized.

The queen, Rapunzel's mother, enjoyed seeing her husband in such a jovial state. After 18 years of sitting quietly together waiting for their little girl they never thought was going to return home, she felt as though a warm glow was visible around him. Now of course the queen was at her happiest as well. She too celebrated the return of her daughter in many ways. Almost every inch of the palace had become covered in purple and gold, and there was a plethora or arrangements made for Rapunzel and her husband Eugene.

Chance had a great relationship with his grandparents. His grandfather would wrestle around with him and tell him stories of when he was younger, and his grandmother would read books to him by the fire at night until he fell asleep in her arms.

Rapunzel and Eugene were wonderful parents as well. Eugene taught his son how to hunt, fish, and always looked out for him. Rapunzel would go with Chance and ride the palace horses together through the fields not too far off from the castle. Growing up, Chance's mother was more of a fun-love and a risk taker than his father, who always had something to worry about.  
~~~~~~~~~~

The kingdom was a very happy place for years as Chance grew into a teenager. He loved exploring the kingdom and hanging out with his best friend, Russ, who was the son of Big Nose, a former thug and friend of his mother and father. Back when Chance's mother and father met, they were introduced to a gang of ruffians who were not all that rough. Big Nose had been looking for love all of his life, and soon after meeting Rapunzel and Eugene, he had found it. Big Nose's son was born shortly after Chance. Those two would play all day and share many adventures together, but every sundown Chance was called back to the castle.

"Dad, why don't you let me go out at night? Russ goes out at night with his dad all the time, and I never get to do that." Chance said to Eugene.

"Well, the kingdom can be a dangerous place at night, and mom and I don't want to take any risks of losing you," he told his son.

Chance longed for the days when he would be permitted out on his own. He became quite restless, being kept within the boundaries of the kingdom. He spent time and time again in his room looking out his window, questioning why he was so kept up. What Rapunzel and Eugene had not realized was that by keeping their son close by and almost never letting him out of their sight, that they had done to Chance what Gothel had done to Rapunzel. Chance started to recognize that he did not like the way he was being treated. Sure, he was royalty, but he wanted to be treated like any other person in the kingdom. He didn't even want to be king when he was older if it meant that he couldn't think for himself. If being king meant staying in that stinking palace for the rest of his life, Chance did not want to be a part of it.  
~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the borders of Corona, a few miles south of the kingdom, there lived a family. They dwelled in a minor village thats population barely reached twenty. The small family had lived in the village for many generations. This family consisted of a mother, father, and two young children: a boy and a girl. The family would take trips every so often to the kingdom to visit their cousin and aunt who lived there. Once they would return home, they'd go hunting together. Living in such a small village meant that folks had to provide for themselves. The family was very much at peace where they were. The eldest of the two children, the girl, was named Kitlyn. Her brother was called Isaiah. As Kitlyn and her younger brother grew out of the toddler era and into kids, they were fast becoming more independent, like their parents had before them.

One (almost) silent night in the village, Kitlyn awoke to the sound of footsteps crushing leaves outside. She stayed in bed, for it was probably only an animal. Humans never went around in the village at night. She assumed it to be a fox or badger lurking around trying to find a mouse to eat. But the footsteps grew closer, and louder, until it seemed they were right outside her home. She perked her ears at the sound of faint whispers. Her eyes opened slightly, and tensed her body at the sight of a large silhouette standing near the entrance to her abode.

Kitlyn's father had also awakened and rushed to the door. The strange figure mumbled a phrase or two to him before forcing the door open. He shoved her father to the ground and proceeded to slam the door in his face, locking it from the outside.

Her father began to panic. He knew that something very bad was about to happen. There were no other escape hatches or doors in their small house. Well, maybe there was one…..

There was a tiny hole in one of the walls of the house, which had neglected being fixed since a storm had created it. That hole was not nearly big enough to fit Kitlyn's mother and father, but it was just the right size for the young girl and her brother to squeeze through. Kitlyn's father knew he did not have a single second to lose.

"Kitlyn, come quick. You and Isaiah have to go now. Grab your brother and crawl through that hole in the wall. Don't you look back either." Her father told her. "Oh, why this, why now?" He mumbled. Kitlyn may have seen a tear run down her father's cheek.

Kitlyn shook her brother awake and walked him over to the hole in the wall. Isaiah began to crawl through, yawning and blinking his eyes repeatedly to stay alert. He was too young to understand the magnitude of the situation. Kitlyn however, hesitated and glanced at her father. He was sitting with his wife, telling her what was going on. They embraced before Kitlyn's father saw her. He walked over to her and knelt down.

"But daddy,-"Kitlyn stuttered. "What's happening? Aren't you and mommy coming too? Why do we have to leave?" She took Isaiah's small shaking hand.

"There is no time to explain my dear. Your mother and I cannot fit through that hole, it is much too small. Don't worry, it will all be okay. You need to go now Kitlyn darling. Time is running out! Your mother and I will be fine! Just go!" Her father yelled as Kitlyn turned and hurriedly squeezed herself through the hole and met her brother on the other side.

But as she ran further and further from the one place she had called home, she couldn't bear it. She took a glance back.

That was a huge mistake.

The house had been set aflame, and an orange glow had surrounded it and the area around it. It was burning to the ground. Kitlyn watched shambles and debris fall and spark everywhere. How could her father have told her such a lie? This was anything but fine. She did not want to think about what had happened to her parents, but her mind flooded with horrid thoughts. What was she to do? She could not care for Isaiah all by herself! Her head spun and the ground seemed to be moving in all different directions. She turned around once more and grabbed her brother by the hand. They ran until they could no longer see the awful sight.

"Where are mommy and daddy?" Isaiah cried.

Kitlyn ceased running and sat her brother down on the ground, soon plopping down in front of him. She reached out and gripped his shoulders lightly. "Isaiah, listen, mom and dad couldn't come with us. They said that they had to stay home, but we can't stay with them. I think it's going to be just you and me from now on." Kitlyn sighed as her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't know how else to say it. He had not seen the fire or their mother and father hugging one last time. His young mind could not yet comprehend the current state that they were in. Their parents were dead. How can you say that to a small boy without crushing his spirits and breaking his heart?

Isaiah's eyes grew wide. Soon-to-be waterworks began forming at the edges of his eyes and streamed down his pale face. He got up off the ground where they had sat and rested, and looked in the direction they had come, then in the opposite direction. He started to speak, but he was still so young that he was barely understandable. "I don't want it to be just me and you. We need to find Auntie Gwen. She probably knows where mommy and daddy went." He started to run off on a completely different route, not realizing he left his sister sitting on the ground. Kitlyn did not have time to react. She sprung up onto her feet and tried to get caught up with him, but after all that had happened, she was exhausted and weak. She couldn't outrun her baby brother. He always used to tease her about being faster than her. Now it seemed like a cruel punishment that her legs couldn't pound against the grass fast enough to catch up to him. She gave up, her chest heavy, and curled her body under a tree, sobbing as the rain started to pour down on the late night sky.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Merry Christmas Eve! And happy holidays! I want to get these chapters out as soon as possible, because I really want to have this finished. I hope that everyone is having a good day and that you all have a happy and safe holiday! **

**P.S.- Disney owns Tangled and all of its characters **

* * *

Through her muffled cries, Kitlyn heard a rumble in the distance. Below her feet she felt vibrations radiating through the soggy ground. Kitlyn propped her head up and squinted around in the dark. From a distance came four wolves, huge black and brooding. As they came closer it could be seen that they were snarling and licking their lips. Her eyes widening, Kitlyn shot up as fast as she could. Her fear soon turned to slight indifference. How much could one girl lose in one day? Her family, her home, her innocence. All seemed lost to her. The wolves weren't even a surprise at this point. She stared at the mongrels with bloodshot eyes as they surrounded her. She didn't even care what would happen to her now.

The tiny child stood her ground, facing-off with these wolves. From behind the monstrous dogs a dark shadow became visible. Kitlyn had seen this shadow before. She felt her cheeks get red hot. She knew who this shadow belonged to. There was no mistake about it. This was the scoundrel who had sent her running and cost her parents their lives. A figure was seen following the shadow. The dark character took a few strides and stopped in front of Kitlyn. He towered over her, his eyes piercing through hers, and yet not speaking a word. The wolves, keeping a crouched stance around Kitlyn, seemed to be waiting for a command of sorts, as if they needed to be told to lunge at their prey. The man opened his mouth, paused, and then revealed a chilling voice that bellowed through the trees.

"Kill her."

Looking back on it, all Kitlyn could remember after that moment was running away as fast as her legs could take her. She had told herself not to be afraid, but the sound snapping jaws and howls closing in on her had convinced her mind otherwise. She tumbled through small shrubs and dodged trees left and right. A vine suddenly seemed to come out of nowhere, sending her face-first into the wet earth. She turned onto her back just in time to see a set of claws cutting into her line of vision. She felt a sudden blow to her head, followed by immense pain. The world around her became fuzzy; she could feel warm, thick blood trickling down her skin. Kitlyn tried to get up on her feet, but was pushed to the ground once more. Two big black paws rested on her chest, and one set of sharpened jaws growled above her face. Avoiding looking into the eyes of the beast, Kitlyn twisted her head to the side. With drool spraying all over her cheeks and nose, she squinted at another shape moving onto the scene. She thought that it had to another man by the way it moved. She felt the weight of the wolf and its paws lift off her chest, and she took a few long breaths before looking up. Her vision was returning to her, and she could see that the man was defending himself with a torch against the angered animals. It did not take long for the wolves to realize that they were no match for the flaming club, and soon retreated with their tails in-between their legs. The man, still holding his torch, walked over to Kitlyn. He stood over her, looking her straight in the eyes. That was when Kitlyn recognized him. Prince Eugene. He gave her a slight smile and picked her up in one scoop. He held her close to his chest and carried her out of the forest.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

Kitlyn awoke in her cousin's home in Corona, safe and sound, and surrounded by her relatives. Isaiah was there too. They were all sitting around her, and when the girl had opened her eyes, a wave of relief rushed through the room. "I'm so sorry," Kitlyn started to say, but her Aunt Gwen stopped her mid-sentence.

"Now hun, you sit back and relax. I don't want you getting hurt anymore. You're very lucky my dear. Had there not been word of smoke in that forest, you might not be here right now. Oh it's just horrid, isn't it? Poor Isiah showed up here all by himself, and you were nowhere to be found! I almost lost my mind, I did! I'm not sure what we'd do if we lost you dearies!" She sighed. "Isiah told me that you two left without your parents. I don't want to assume, but I do not think they will be coming back Kitlyn, honey." Her aunt tried to find a way around telling her niece and nephew that their parents had perished, but she gave up and sighed once more. Making an effort to ease the tension she had created, she started on a new subject. "Prince Eugene was so brave; he saved your life you know. Going all the way into that burning forest on his own, and then fighting those wolves? Such a courageous man."

Kitlyn still could hardly believe her ears, even though she had seen it all herself. The future ruler of Corona had saved her from the wolves.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

Only a year had gone by since that terrible incident. One year since she had fled from her innocence and the only life she had ever know. 365 days since she was ripped away from her parents by the doings of a large heinous man. And one year since she had been hunted down by a killer and then saved by the prince of Corona.

Kitlyn had gown somewhat depressed in that time. Living with her aunt and cousin and watching them be together as a family. _Family. _The word still stung in her brain like it had been branded with steaming iron. Of course, she still had Isiah. He was her brother for goodness sake. And sure, her aunt and cousin were family, but Kitlyn just couldn't take it any longer. Her aunt reminded her so much of her mother, and although it gave her lasting memories, it also gave her horrible nightmares of the past.

She needed to get away from everything that had happened.

One evening, in the dark of the night, Kitlyn took all her belongings. She looked around her aunt's house for a moment that seemed to last forever; for she told herself that this would be the last time she would see it ever again. The girl walked over to where her family was sleeping and kissed each of them on the head ever-so-lightly before she finally left the kingdom, swearing to never come back.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dad, can I go now? _Pleeease?_" a whining Chance pleaded to his father.

"Why are you off into the kingdom in such a rush? What is out there that you need right at this moment that is so important to you?" Eugene questioned, raising an eyebrow at his son.

"Maximus and I are going to the woods to do some more wildernesses exploring today." Chance replied, puffing out his chest a bit. The attempt at trying to be manly had been picked up by Eugene, who smirked at the young man in front of him. But the expression soon faded into a stern one.

"Why don't you ever stay here with your mother and me to work on your studies? Hunting and running about isn't everything. Trust me, I'd know. Ever since you were a child, you always wanted to be outside. Is the large _castle _that we live in not enough for you? Chance, you're 16. You're not a little boy anymore. You have to realize you can't run away from your responsibilities forever. You know, you're going to be king someday. It is going to be a lot of work and take a lot of smarts. You have to show respect, love,-"

"And compassion. I know dad I know. Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, I'm not king material?" said Chance, rolling his eyes at the speech he had heard one too many times.

"Of course you are. You're a prince!"

"Maybe I never wanted to be! You just don't understand. _You_ had a life before becoming a prince. Mom and you are all gung-ho about this king and queen stuff, but I don't _like_ being a prince. I don't want to be responsible for the kingdom and everything that comes along with it. I just want to be free to do what I please. No fancy stuff, no "royal treatment", and no "your majesty" this or that. I would rather be a lowly peasant and wallow in my own filth then be a stuck up royal like all of you!" Chance pushed past his shocked father and ran down the halls of the castle. He burst into the stables, trying not to cause too much of a ruckus. He found Maximus, and with some coaxing (and a few apples), rode off through the kingdom and into the woods surrounding it.

"Maximus, how could mom and dad be so blind!? I'm not like them, and I never was! They'll never see that!" Chance yelled. Maximus let out a sympathetic whinny as he looked forward and kept galloping through the trees.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

After hours of bounding farther and farther from their home, Maximus and Chance were both tuckered out. They had come to a small creek and stopped to rest and get a drink. Maximus, his worn hooves throbbing from the amount of time he had spent on his feet, was so tired that he slumped down and fell asleep next to the small creek, beginning to snore loudly. Chance was temporarily left without transportation, unless he wanted to walk, which he did not. The sun was quickly setting, and Chance decided it was time to get some rest himself. He walked over towards a nearby tree to sleep against. All of a sudden, Chance felt his feet sweep out from underneath of him as he became caught in a rope trap, flipped upside down, and was hanging from the tree by his ankles. He called for Maximus to help, but the horse was sound asleep. Eventually, Chance fell asleep too, upside down like a bat.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: (I really don't know what to say in these...) Greetings everyone, how are you? Good? Well that's good (Gosh, I really need to learn how to write a author's note that's not complete garbage). **

**Anyway, here is chapter numero tres! I think that most chapters are going to be relatively short, but others may be longer just because when I originally wrote this, it was just one long document in Word. So, I'm working on separating the story into sections that actually make sense and don't break off in the middle of a conversation or something. **

**Hey, if any of you have seen Frozen (which I just saw for the third time because I'm obsessed), did you see Rapunzel and Eugene's cameo? I thought it was so cute! **

**Okay, back to the story. Enjoy! **

**Disney owns Tangled and all of its characters **

* * *

"Hello? Anyone in there? Wakey Wakey... GET UP!" Kitlyn said to the strange boy hanging from her trap.

"Wha- What am I…Who are you?" Chance said in a dazed mutter.

"I'm a very hungry girl who just found a boy in her snare instead of an animal. And you probably scared off anything within at least 5 miles of here. Great. Looks like I'll be going vegetarian tonight." Kitlyn whined sarcastically. She took out a small dagger from her tightly fastened belt around her waist and cut the rope hanging from the tree just above the boy's feet. Chance fell head-first to the ground with a soft thud. As he gawked up at her, she began to speak again. "You lost buddy? 'Cause you certainly look like you don't belong out here." She said to him.

"I am NOT lost. I'm just, um, passing through," Chance retorted, rolling onto on his back to face the girl.

"You sure about that?" Kitlyn replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me at all," he said.

"Well alrighty Dracula, why don't you get up then?" She said, smirking.

Dracula? Chance's face wrinkled in confusion before he realized where he had been the _entire _night. He reluctantly put one hand on the tree adjacent to him and tried to lift himself up. He got on his feet, gave a look of triumph to Kitlyn, and immediately started to fall back down. All the blood that rushed to his head had made him dizzy. Kitlyn, unsurprised by what just happened, caught his arm before he hit the ground and leaned him up against the tree. She sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" She paced back and forth, Chance still too woozy to do or really see anything. Chance, still seeing double, watched as a blurred Kitlyn stopped for a moment to put two fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle. A horse with a coat of chocolate brown seemed to materialize from the trees, hurtling into view. Chance looked around for his own horse, but Maximus was nowhere to be seen.

"Brutus, we got a live one, and he's a lost boy. Let's take 'em home to fix him up, shall we?" Kitlyn smiled and patted the horse's torso. She walked over to Chance, putting his arm around her shoulder and dragging him over to the stallion. She slung him on the back of the horse and continued to get on herself. Being ever-so-cautious so as not to let him fall off, Kitlyn brought a disheveled Chance to her home.  
~~~~~~~~~

As Kitlyn helped Chance off of Brutus, she waited this time for him to regain his balance. He took a few dizzy steps before his eyesight was no longer fuzzy or in double vision. He looked up from where he stood and saw a brilliant tree house, high above him. He looked at the girl. "Is this…_your_ house?"

"Sure is. It's a little rough around the edges, but hey, it suits me." she told him. A split second of awkward silence followed before either of them said anything. Realizing the quietness in the air, it was Kitlyn who spoke. "So, uh, what's your name anyway?"

Still gaping in amazement at the craftsmanship of the small mansion up in the leaves, Chance snapped back into reality at the sound of the girl's voice. "Oh, my name is Chance."

"Uh-huh. I'm Kitlyn. Well, is there a _chance _you'd wanna go inside then? Don't want you getting tangled up in any more of my snares." she said with a laugh.

Chance smiled and followed Kitlyn up a tall ladder high into the oak trees. Once at the top, he paused for a moment, still astonished that someone _built _an entire treehouse. Kitlyn pulled a large animal pelt (which served the purpose of a door) aside and waited for Chance. When he finally finished marveling over the outside of the house, Chance stepped inside. The interior of the house was almost, if not more stunning than the exterior. "This place is amazing. Who built it?" He asked.

"I did." Kitlyn told him, her voice quieting a bit in modesty.

"Wow. You- ? That's incredible! And all by yourself? This is remarkable! Don't you live here with anyone else?" He questioned, poking his head about the home curiously.

Kitlyn looked down at the floor for an instant, and then back up at Chance. "Nope, it's just me myself and I around here." Trying to sort out the somberness of what she was going to say next. In an attempt to sound braver than she actually was, she said, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but haven't really got anyone to live with. I haven't lived with anyone since I was very young."

"Oh." The change in Kitlyn voice was obvious, and Chance felt really bad for her. How could someone live with no one else around? Had she no family, no parents? _The kind of love and support I had as a child is foreign to her_, he thought.

Thinking about Kitlyn previous statement, an idea popped into Chance's mind. Maybe he could make her feel better if he told her he was an orphan too. _I could at least lighten the mood, _he said to himself. And although his new idea wasn't completely true, he _definitely_ wasn't planning on going back to Corona anytime soon. He, for one, did not need that love and support from his parents anymore. He was almost an adult, and he wanted to make his own choices and carve out his own life path. After an internal dispute, Chance decided to go through with his newfangled plan. "Well, you're not alone."

Kitlyn spun around. "Really?" Noticing the sudden excitement she had just expressed, she cleared her throat and straightened up a little. "I- um…..so you're telling me that you're on your own too? I mean, I saw a horse with you this morning, but he bolted as soon as he saw me coming."

"Oh yeah, that's Maximus. He wouldn't harm a fly. In fact, I think that the fly could do more harm to him than he could to it." Chance grinned at the thought of "the royal steed" running terrified through the woods.

Kitlyn smiled at Chance. "Then how did you two end up around here? Not many people are seen wondering these parts. Actually, I don't anyone's ever passed by."

Chance nodded at her words, absorbing them so that he could think of a story, and fast. But he realized that his own experience in the past few hours was a story in itself. "I ran away from home. I couldn't take the way I was living, it just wasn't for me."

The girl was surprised. "Woah, that's so weird. I'm a runaway myself. I know exactly what you mean!" she told him. Had she really bumped into the one person that was almost like her in every way? In her head it seemed too good to be true, but Kitlyn shook away those thoughts and enjoyed herself instead.

After listening to Chance's story, Kitlyn seemed to lighten up a little. After he had told her he was an orphan, she was even more intrigued. She finally had someone to relate to. Better yet, someone who could understand her. Just having a person in her home made her feel joyous and comfortable. She had never had a visitor before, and it was different from anything she had done before. Kitlyn showed Chance around her abode and treated the rope burns that were left on his ankles with some herbs and tree leaves. Even though she still did not trust him, she felt a bit better knowing that he was just like her.  
~~~~~~~~

The Kingdom of Corona was in a state of panic. Where had prince Chance gone? Why had he not returned home the night before? Was he in trouble? Would he come back? Many people were asking questions. Rapunzel was heartbroken at the news of her missing son, and spent a while locked in the master bedroom of the castle, huddled on her bed with Pascal as her consoler. Eugene (along with permission and help form the King and Queen) set out search parties all over the kingdom and in surrounding areas.

Eugene was filled with guilt. Had he really caused his son to run away? It was as if Chance had just disappeared out of blue to everyone else, but his father was the only one that knew the real reason why he left. Eugene couldn't help but feel that it was his entire fault that the kingdom was in such a dilemma. He had not meant to push the whole "responsibility" spiel on him so hard. Chance's good friend Russ and his former pub-thug father offered suggestions as to where the prince could be based on where they would spend time together, but it was no use. It seemed that Corona now had a lost prince, and everyone was determined to change that. If they could make it through the problem of lost princess years ago, then they could overcome this new  
obstacle.  
~~~~~~~~

Kitlyn had let Chance stay in her tree house for the night, since he had nowhere to go. She offered him a place to sleep in the spare hammock she had. They tied it up between two of the numerous large branches that jutted through different places in the house. When Chance had fallen asleep (which was surprisingly quick), Kitlyn was able to sneak out to hunt for a decent meal. After an hour or so, she returned with her game. Stopping for a second to gather her things before climbing up the ladder to the house, a rustling sounded from the bushes. Kitlyn ceased her entire body, but not before she placed a hand on her dagger, ready to be drawn. Out of the shrubs pranced a small fox, running for Kitlyn. She let out a sigh, pulled her hand away from the dagger, relaxing her muscles.

"Rico, don't scare me like that bud!" She whispered as she scratched the animal under his chin. Panting happily, the fox trotted over to a nearby thicket and pulled out a basket. Kitlyn tied it to a rope and threw the rope around a tree branch next to her window. "Wait here." She told the fox, as she climbed up the ladder. She walked over to her window and began to tug at the basket like a pulley, with her latest kill and Rico inside.

Kitlyn skinned her latest kill and hung the pelt out to dry over the windowsill. She sat down next to the fox and shared the meat with him.

Kitlyn had met Rico while she was wandering through the woods the night she left her family. He followed her, and continued to ever since. The fox and human combination seemed like an odd one at first to Kitlyn, but she soon fell in love with the red-furred mammal.

Glancing out of the window, Kitlyn could see Brutus was already fast asleep underneath a tree. The girl had also met the large horse shortly after leaving the kingdom. He was a runaway palace horse from one of the neighboring kingdoms to Corona. Kitlyn had heard his pleading cries and had freed him from a vine that was caught around his leg, and fed him as well. And for a stallion such as Brutus, food meant friendship.

After her meal, Kitlyn got in her own hammock and looked at the ceiling. Rico soon joined her. She eventually fell asleep, with Rico curled up on her lap.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Happy New Year! Or, if you're where I am right now, you've got a few more hours to go. But either way, merry 2014 to all of you! **

**This chapter is the shortest so far (I guess you could call it a filler chapter), so I am going to try as soon as possible to get the next one out after this. I start school again this Thursday so I may or may not have time to work on the story. But I will try my best to get chapter 5 out by sometime next week, or sooner! **

**I hope you all enjoy! Have a good night/day! **

**-Disney owns Tangled and all of its characters**

* * *

As the sun rose, Chance awoke to find that he was the only one in the tree house. Last night was the first night he had a good night's sleep in a long while. He didn't have to worry about anyone pestering him with studies, or of his "duties as future king". He got out of the hammock (almost flipping over at first) and strolled around the room. It was such a quaint place; he wondered how no one (at least, no one he met before) had ever found it.

In the corner of the room, something moved. Trying to ifnd something to defend himself with, Chance ran in the opposite direction and tripped, causing whatever had moved to freeze. With a sudden bout of bravery, Chance inched towards the dark corner, and all of a sudden, a flash of orange bolted between his legs. As the animal stopped, he could finally see what it was, and he almost smacked himself. A fox? Was he really scared of a tiny fox? Feeling embarrassed, he walked over to the fox, his hand outstretched. The fox sniffed him, and then licked his fingers. Chance smiled. "Who are you little buddy? How did you get up here?" he asked. The fox stopped licking his finger and ran to the window. He seemed as if he were gesturing towards a rope that was tied to a basket. Making the connections in his head, Chance picked up the basket. "Oh, so she pulls you up here? I was wondering how a little guy like you got up here. You must be one special little fox." He smirked, thinking that it was sweet of Kitlyn to take care of the animal. Chance put the basket down, let Rico jump in, and then carefully lowered him down to the ground, watching as he ran off in the woods.

Chance entertained himself for a short while by looking at the various pelts that hung around the walls. So many different creatures, but no large ones, like bears. There was not one fox pelt to be seen. _This girl must really like that fox_, Chance assumed, thinking back to the pulley that had given the animal ability to enter the treehouse. It was then realized that Kitlyn had been gone for quite a while. Where could she have gone?

A distant neighing rang through Chance's ears. He peered out the window to see Kitlyn and Brutus ride into view. Kitlyn held a bow in one hand and an empty sheath was visible on her back. She looked up at Chance and waved. "I see Sleeping Beauty has finally risen from his slumber." She called up to him, snickering. "C'mon down, and bring the full sheath that's sitting by my hammock please." She finished. Chance grabbed the sheath and headed down the ladder. He handed it to Kitlyn.

"Why do you need the arrows? I mean, what are they for?" He asked.

"For fun. A girl's gotta have at least one hobby out here in the middle of nowhere. It's almost like a target practice sort of thing. I make my own targets on the trees and me and Brutus here run and shoot. I think it's best to go early in the morning so your eyes can adjust to the light, and also because I love the morning. I didn't think you'd be up by now, but since you are, I figured maybe you'd wanna give it a try." She said, handing him the bow and sheath.

"You want me to do what now?" Chance had never practiced archery before. Sure, he had always wanted to, but his parents would never have let him go near a bow, let alone shoot with one.

"Why not? I thought since you were on your own, I could teach you a lesson or two on living in the forest, if you want. We're not all crazy psychos out here you know."

"I know. I just, um… thanks I guess. I would love to."

"No problem." She said.

Kitlyn hopped on Brutus, leaving Chance standing around awkwardly. "Well, you're not gonna walk there are you?" Kitlyn patted a spot on Brutus's back behind her. With a bit of hesitation, Chance got on the horse. They rode away from the tree house, forestry flying by, providing a green and brown kaleidoscope around them. After a bit, Brutus slowed down, and Chance could see that they had stopped in a clearing where large white marks had been made all over the surrounding trees. Kitlyn gave Chance a minute to look around at them before asking, "You ready to start?"

Kitlyn got off of Brutus with Chance following close behind. She proceeded to give him a white cloth. "What's this for?" Chance asked.

"You know what they say, first time's a charm."

Once he comprehended what she had meant, Chance was beside himself with shock. "Wait, what? You don't mean… _blindfold myself_? No way! I can't do that!"

"Don't say "I can't" unless you've never tried. You certainly won't know unless you attempt it at least once. I suggest you try, or else it looks you'll may never make it out here," Kitlyn said, folding her arms in sarcastic protest.

Shooting her a quick glare, Chance began to set up his bow and arrow, reluctant to the girl's last statement. Kitlyn helped put the blindfold on him, and took a few paces backward. "Now, just imagine the target. Someone you really hate is on the other side of that blindfold. What are you going to do?" Kitlyn said.

"Shoot at him?"

"Yes! But with confidence! Think of the worst person or thing you could possibly think. And aim for the _kill._"

At the moment, the only thing Chance could think of was of his father. Disgusted of what had just happened in his mind, Chance tried to shake the thought away, but to no avail. The constant lectures and boring speeches about everything he would have to do as king pierced through his brain and kept getting louder and louder. Knowing that there was no way he would ever even attempt to point a weapon at his own father, Chance focused his hatred on the pressures of becoming king. He felt his anger surge from his core down to his fingertips and into his bow. Blindly taking aim, Chance readied himself to let go of the arrow. Without one more second of hesitation, the tipped spear left his fingers. Like a magnet to metal, the arrow pierced the target dead on.

"Wow, you must really hate someone." Kitlyn joked. Not seeing the stone-like expression Chance still wore on his face after taking off the blindfold, she was instead thinking of her emotions. She was truly happy right now. Somehow, this lanky rogue had come out of nowhere and found Kitlyn. The events of the past few days made her question if fate and destiny were real or not. The gap in her soul that her family had left was temporarily patched up by Chance. For once, her mind wasn't set on eating, sleeping, and surviving. She was having _fun_, and she did not want it to end. A small ray of hope had begun to shine over Kitlyn's dark past.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello all! I hope you are enjoying your day or night so far! Before you begin to read this chapter, I must express a few things: **

**1. I don't know why, but I'm really excited about this chapter for some reason :D **

**2. Tell me what you think! Who's your favorite character? What could I do better? Give me some feedback or write a review! (They are much appreciated) **

**3. Okay, so a sort of side story goes on during this chapter. New characters are introduced and blah blah blah... But I realize that I kind of designed this story with guidelines of a classic Disney princess movie... So bear with me on this one, it may get a bit confusing. **

**Once again, I'd like to thank you, precious reader, for taking time out of your schedule for a silly little story like mine. It means a lot to me:) **

* * *

A few weeks had passed since Chance had run away from home, and he was genuinely comfortable living this new life in the woods. It was so peaceful and calm in the wilderness, where no etiquette classes had to be taken or important meetings needed to be held. His only worry in the entire world was that he had not seen Maximus since his first night out. Kitlyn had said he'd run away from her when he heard her coming. The poor horse was probably starving out there, all on his own. But, then again, Max could probably find his way back to the kingdom. In fact, he could _definitely _find his way back. He had ventured this far before without getting lost, so it was assumed that he was just fine. The thought of his lost pal was always pushed to the back of Chance's mind.

Kitlyn and Chance rode together to "target practice" almost every morning, and would also hunt small animals for dinner (hunting was Chance's second lesson in forest dwelling. His father had indeed taught him how to hunt when he was young, but he proved to be a bit rusty on his skills). Rico and Brutus were some of the friendliest animals he had ever met. Inside the borders of the kingdom, the only animals Chance had ever seen were Maximus, and perhaps the other palace horses. But, Kitlyn's furry companions seemed almost human in their mannerisms and actions. It was as if the animals were just people in costume. Chance often laughed when Brutus and Rico would roughhouse, because their proportions were so different, and it was comical to see a small fox weave in and out of the stallion's legs. They were an odd combination too, a fox and a horse. But so were Chance and Kitlyn; the undercover prince and the treehouse dweller. Although they did not have as much in common as Kiltyn thought, they still had kindled a great companionship.

The four unlikely friends would sit around a freshly lit fire together some nights, sharing and listening to stories of great adventurers (even the swashbuckling rogue Flynn Rider had his story told) and a few ghost tales. Then, as the moon would rise higher and higher into the dark purple night sky, they would fall asleep around the dying embers of the small pile of wood and leaves they had set ablaze. Kitlyn taught Chance how to survive in nature, and how to be more independent, like her. Over time, Chance had learned of Kitlyn's awful past, and how a terrible man had sent her house up in flames.

It was in those moments that Chance told himself he would never return to his old life.  
~~~~~~~~~

"This time, they will ALL perish. I will leave no survivors. Not a single cobblestone will be left unturned. The first step to my wonderfully perfect plot was ruined the night that "noble Prince Eugene" decided to swoop in and save the day. Well, let me tell you something. He made a _big_ mistake by trying to help out Franklin's daughter. What business did he have interfering with my plans? The effort made was a good one I must admit, and it certainly gave me a run for my money. But one thing I know for certain. My wolves were faster, and stronger at that. Franklin's daughter has been LONG gone. The last piece of the puzzle has been put into place. It has taken me years to regather my thoughts and evade the royal _bums_, but I've done it. I've finally regrouped, and now is the time to strike. I have been waiting in the shadows for far too long. I would almost feel sorry for the precious kingdom of Corona, for the faults of their beloved future-king are sending them to their dooms. Not that Eugene's intervention would've stopped me in the first place. It was a minor setback." A long pause. "I _will_ take Corona." A dark voice echoed.

"Why yes sir….O-o-of course sir….a very good plan, mister Malevolo sir." A shaky murmur replied. This murmur had escaped from the mouth of a short and gimpy man. He was a cowardly middle-aged fellow whose anxiety often got the better of him. His nails were always atrociously chewed away, and his beady gray eyes bugged out of his skull when he was spoken to. He looked to the large man standing across from him and sank a little further into the floor when he said nothing. But, soon enough, the deep voice spoke again.

"Oh shut up, will you? I don't need your sympathy. I know it's a good plan you simpleton. Now listen to me you spineless worm. My strategy is to surround and conquer, you hear me? And you can't surround a kingdom with just one man. I think this calls for a few recruitments, hm? Pay close attention. I want the strongest, meanest, most disgusting men you can find. I need an army. A BIG army." Malevolo demanded. "You must find me one as soon as possible, Herodes."

"Right away sir!" Herodes squeaked, not questioning the requests of his superior. He skittered his feet across the ground and began to flee from the scene. But before he could, he was stopped by the sound of speech.

"Oh, and one more thing," Malevolo growled, prowling closer and closer to his lackey. He wore an eerie smile on his face.

"Yes, s-sir?"

An enormous hand somehow had found its way to Herodes's collar and held on with a firm grip. Malevolo leaned in until his mouth was adjacent to the quivering man's ear. Herodes could feel the warm air escaping from Malevolo's throat as he spoke. "You don't find what I'm looking for, and I'll make sure that you won't have the vision to find anything ever again."

"O-of course Malevolo s-s-sir, I-I understand," with wide eyes, the servant-like sidekick scurried away as fast as he could.  
~~~~~~~~~~

It was a quiet morning in the forest. Chance had woken up before Kitlyn (which was a rare occurrence), and snuck down the ladder. He met Brutus at the base of the tree and was soon joined by Rico. He fed them some berries he had left over from a few days previous. He sighed. Knowing that the horse and fox would not respond to him, he started to speak. His inner thoughts had been eating at him for too long, and he needed to just let it out.

"Oh guys, I've gotten myself into such a mess, haven't I? How am I ever going to tell Kitlyn that I'm not who I say I am? I'm not expecting a reply from either of you, but play along with me here. She thinks I'm some lonely orphan just like her, who waltzed into her territory and said 'hey, I need food and shelter, could I crash with you for a while?'" Rico and Brutus cocked their heads to the side in confusion. Chance shook his head and began to pace the forest floor, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "I know you guys don't get it. Heck, you probably don't understand a word I'm saying. But it's killing me inside. I'm mad at myself for not telling her in the first place. Furious, in fact. I just….I felt so bad for her. All alone out here, with no family and no one to care for her. She's spent years suffering, and who am I? I'm the guy that was too selfish to stay in my own home. What would she say if she found out that I was the crowned prince of Corona?" Chance exclaimed.

Only after his rant was over did Chance hear a soft crunch of leaves behind him. He turned around, almost falling in the dirt, and saw Kitlyn standing in front of him. She stared at him, with a look of utter shock and betrayal on her face. "So, this entire time, it was all a lie, was it? To make me _feel_ better? How could lies make me feel any better?!" She started to raise her voice. "You thought that just because I was a "lonely orphan", you had to put on a show to impress me? Because you don't want to live _in royalty_?"

"Kitlyn, I-"

"No, don't you 'Kitlyn' me. You're a liar, and that's all you've ever been since the moment we met. From the second I cut you down from that trap you fed me lies. I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. And what kind of prince leaves his kingdom, his own _family_ behind? Some prince you are!" She felt as if she was going to turn purple from anger. Her eyes stung and her chest burned.

"But if you just let me expla-"

"I'm done hearing you try to 'explain'. You've said quite enough to my furry friends here." Kitlyn motioned towards Brutus and Rico, who were afraid to move another step. She tried to look as if she calmed down a bit. "You know what… I think you've said _so_ much that I don't need to hear it anymore. _Any _of it. So sorry that I cannot grace _his majesty _with my presence any longer, but I'm leaving. And if you're still here when I get back, there'll be more than just a verbal beating." Not taking her eyes off of the stunned and ashamed prince, she hopped on Brutus. "Goodbye Prince Chance, and good riddance." With one final glare, Kitlyn rode off, leaving Chance alone at the base of the tree.

Kitlyn held back tears as she and Brutus sped away. The anger she had strained to suppress was turning into sadness and frustration. Her only friend (well, her only _human _friend), the only person she thought she could express how she felt with, was a liar. She wondered how far Chance was willing to go with his orphan story. But he said it was eating him up inside. Or was that a lie too? Confused and hurt, Kitlyn pushed the thoughts of Chance out of her head. She tried to focus on the leaves crunching under Brutus's feet, or the trees flying past either side of her. But there was no way she could not think about him. Coming to terms with the situation, Kiltyn let her mind do as it pleased. One thing she did know for certain. He was the prince of Corona. He didn't belong in the woods. He didn't belong in the small treehouse in the forest with the orphan girl who just needed a friend. She went further and further into the underbrush, tears streaming down her face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi all! **

**Alrighty, I feel like I'm updating these ****_really _****quickly. But the thing is, this story is "technically" already finished. I'm looking at my story as if it were a storyboard right now, and hammering out the details once I get to them. As I said before, I wrote this story during freshman year, and well, it was not the most "stellar" piece I'd written. So, I'm going back and editing the story (adding new things, taking out things that don't make sense) and then publishing them on here when I finish each section. But I'm not sure if I should slow down with my updating, stay the same, or what. If you have any advice, I'd love to hear! (I'm still fairly new to all of this) **

**Now, this chapter is when sh ! (sorry for the implied curse there) starts to get real. Just keep that in mind :D **

**Reviews and feedback are greatly appreciated! Thanks!**

**Anyway, back to the story! **

* * *

"Herodes, come quick my minion, I have news for you." Malevolo exclaimed toward his henchman.

"Y-yes, s-sir?" the scraggly man whimpered.

"My army is growing stronger. I must say, you've come in quite handy." A villainous grin stretched across his face as he patted Herodes somewhat violently on the back. The feeble sidekick buckled under the force of the hits, but quickly sprang up to his feet again. Malevolo wrapped his arm around Herodes's shoulder. "I feel that the time to attack is quickly approaching us. You must get my troops ready for battle. We shall leave at dusk." he finished.  
~~~~~~~~~

Miles away in Corona, Rapunzel and Eugene were still desperately searching for Chance. They had not lost an ounce of hope that their child was out on his own with Maximus to take some time to himself, and would return soon. But "soon" was beginning to fade away. It had been weeks since the prince's departure, and some thought that he was never coming back to his home. The sun was setting on another soundless night in the kingdom, and it was time for search parties to return once more. Again they delivered the same news. No sign of their son. Where on earth could he have gone?

What Rapunzel and Eugene failed to notice was that a dark evil was lurking in the castle that night. A menacing shadow had slinked up to the castle unseen at first. As it came closer to the rear entrance to the palace, two smaller shadows emerged from either side of the larger. Malevolo had snuck past (or rather, knocked out) the guards posted at the rear entryway with two of his wolves flanking him on both sides. He slowly made his way into and around the unpopulated halls of the castle, avoiding any human contact, looking for the soon-to-be king and queen. Herodes had guided Malevolo's army to surround the kingdom, and was told to await a signal to attack.

Eugene and Rapunzel were up in their large bedroom. Rapunzel sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. Eugene stood by the nearest window, watching the stars and trying to keep his mind off of Chance. After a short period of silence, Rapunzel began to cry. His heart broken by seeing his wife in tears, Eugene walked over and sat down on the bed next to Rapunzel. He put his arms around her and held her there. She leaned into his chest, and curled herself up onto his lap. She also placed her arms around his torso. Eugene ran his fingers through Rapunzel's hair, and rocked her back and forth a bit. Once the sobs had stifled, the princess looked up at her husband. His eyes were sympathetic, yet sadness could definitely be seen in them. Rapunzel uncoiled herself and sat next to Eugene. He took hold of her hand and looked into her eyes. With a pained smile, he said, "Don't worry Blondie, he'll come back. I know he will."

"I sure hope you're right. I miss him so much. I….I just want our son back." Rapunzel whispered, tears returning.

Their somber exchange was interrupted by a light knocking at the door. When they did not answer, the knocks returned, much louder. A bit annoyed, Eugene arose from the bed and walked across the room. He turned back to his wife. "Everything will be fine, I just know it."

The king unlocked the door, and was suddenly pushed to the ground by force. He gazed up in astonishment around the door to see a tall, muscular man standing in the entrance to their room. His skin was riddled with scars and his clothes were mere rags, hanging loosely in some places and tight in others. A memory tried to make itself known inside Eugene's head, but it was vague. He thought that recognized the man. From where? Eugene racked his brain for answers. Then, it hit him like a smack in the face. This was the man he had seen attacking a little girl, some odd 9 or 10 years ago. Why was he here? Deep within his own thoughts, Eugene did not notice the man push the wooden door shut behind him and snap of the knob with his bare hands, locking them inside as he did so. He also did not notice the dark silhouettes that ran into the corners of the room. Eugene snapped out of his temporary thought process, quickly getting up off the floor. Standing in front of the man, Eugene spoke. "Can I help you?"

Malevolo laughed, sending chills up Rapunzel's spine. "Why, of course you can. You know, my friends tell me I need to "get a life", so I figured I would just _take yours._"

Rapunzel and Eugene were puzzled. Take their lives? What had they done? Eugene moved his hands towards his belt, where his sword lay in its sheath. Malevolo saw the prince's hand movement, and swiped out his sword in an instant, whirling around Eugene and grabbing the princess. He pointed his weapon at Rapunzel's throat. "You make _one _more move, and your beloved wife _dies._" He growled.

Alarmed by the sight of his wife in the hands of someone who had invaded their home, Eugene froze. Knowing that anything else he could try would end up getting the love of his life killed, Eugene put his sword back.

Malevolo put his sword back and released his grip on the princess.

Rapunzel ran to her husband and squeezed her arms around him tightly. She observed the stranger, looking into his dark eyes. She could not see past the hatred and blackness in them. Pure and utter darkness. She broke the intense eye contact, for it was too much for her to handle. Malevolo sighed, staring at the royal individuals in front of him. "Alright, I've seen quite enough. It is clear that I cannot do what I wish in here." The villain paused before taking out heavy rope from a satchel at his waist. An inviting smile crept onto his lips. "Now, do us all a favor and cooperate this time, so I don't have to kill you in your own home."

Something inside of Eugene snapped. What did this bloke think he was doing? Did he really think that he and Rapunzel would do _anything _against their will? There was no way they would just bow to some burly thug who had already tried to kill an innocent girl. Anger and frustration burned red in Eugene's ears. He again wielded his sword against Malevolo and tried to defend himself and his wife. Malevolo played along, clanging his sword against the prince's. His swings were effortless compared to Eugene's. The prince fought with all his might, but Malevolo was a worthy adversary, deflecting every swing of his sword. Slash after slash, Eugene and Rapunzel were being backed into the corner of the bedroom. Malevolo had them right where he wanted them. In one swift move, the cunning rogue knocked the sword out of the Eugene's hand, sending it sailing across the room and clattering against the floor. He took his own sword and, wrapping his hand around the handle, used the end of the grip to deliver a swift blow to the prince's head, rendering him unconscious. A horrified gasp came from Rapunzel's mouth, and before she could react, she also fell victim to the blow of the blade. Malevolo bound the two of them together with the thick rope, making sure that there was no room for escape. He walked over to the wooden door at the entrance to the bedroom. With great force, Malevolo kicked the wooden slab that stood between him and an empty hallway. The door burst apart, splinters flying everywhere. Just barely fitting through the hole he had made, Malevolo stepped out of the bedroom. He whistled for his wolves, who sprang out from the shadows and took their places next to him. Malevolo grabbed Eugene and Rapunzel and threw them over his shoulder. With a small amount of difficulty, the man made his way towards an exit. The wolves acted as his bodyguards, giving the villain safe passage throughout the castle. Escaping through the same passage he had entered, Malevolo snuck out into the woods, with the prince and princess as his hostages.


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings everyone! **

**So this chapter is what I'm going to call a "baby" chapter. There's not a lot of content, but hey, I wanted to leave you all with a bit of a cliffhanger:) And I also have finals next week, so I haven't really been able to get to writing or editing due to the amount of studying I've done (and still have to do). I'm beginning a new story as well, which I hope to publish soon. **

**I want to thank you for giving this story such a positive response! Thanks for favoriting/following/reviewing! I love you all!**

**Btw, have any of you guys ever heard the story "Abandoned by Disney" by SlimeBeast? If you haven't, check it out. It's super creepy, but it's also super cool. So yeah... (I just thought some of you may find it interesting) **

**(Disney owns Tangled and all of its characters) **

**Enjoy!**

**Kristen OUT. **

* * *

Kitlyn and Brutus rode for miles, Rico trailing closely at their heels. The sounds and scenery of the forest moving around her made her mind settle a bit. As the sun began to set, she brought Brutus to a halt and began to set herself up to spend the night where they had stopped. She patted the horse's torso. "I'm going to get some firewood bud, you stay here. If I give a whistle, come find me. Got it?" Kitlyn told Brutus, extending her arm to scratch his neck. Brutus gave her a whinny and a look in his eyes that told her he understood. Kitlyn nodded and knelt down to Rico. "You stay here too. I don't want to risk losing another friend today." With a pained smile, she ruffled the fur on the fox's head. He gazed at her with big, sad eyes, but planted himself on the ground where he stood. Kitlyn walked away from the animal duo, determined not to let Chance leave unecessary weight on her shoulders.

She wandered off, looking for broken branches and fallen trees small enough to split into pieces. After picking up a few large twigs, she stopped herself when she heard voices nearby. She crouched down, being as still as possible. She quieted her breathing and stood, making an effort to hear what was being said. When she could not make out the words being spoken, she cautiously put one foot in front of the other, inching closer and closer. She snuck through the brush, not making a sound as she approached the voices. She came to a standstill as she saw shadows. Hiding behind the trees and keeping in the shade, she listened to hear who was talking.

"Silence! I will no longer listen to your petty arguments. You know very well why I've dragged you both out here. Do _not_ pretend that you have no idea! I've played this game before. I'll have you know that I am capable of playing nice, but if you keep blabbering on about nothing and avoid the subject at hand, I may have to…..slit a throat. Or _two_." A terribly familiar voice rang in Kitlyn's ears. Then yet another familiar voice sounded off.

"Listen, I honestly have no clue what I did to y-"

"I said SILENCE!" A panicked cry vibrated through the trees as the sound of face-to-fist contact was heard. "Does that night in the forest years back ring a bell in your puny brain? The girl you tried to steal from my grasp? You had no business in what I was doing and what I was planning to do. And now, you are going to pay for what you have done."

Kitlyn knew those voices. And it wasn't just a hunch. Her mind raced, searching for the memory that they came from. Who were they? What were they doing out here? She edged even closer to the clearing of trees and squinted to see the figures who owned the voices. What her eyes then saw stunned her. She was glancing at 3 people; what appeared to be two men and a woman. What confused Kitlyn was that one of the men and the woman were back to back. Cautiously, she took another small step forward, her feet silent. As the scene came into full view, she clasped a hand to her mouth.

It was Prince Eugene and Princess Rapunzel. They stood back to back bound by a large rope. But, who was the other man? Who was the towering silhouette who brought them there? She peered through the trees once again to get a glimpse of his face. The face was so familiar, yet Kitlyn couldn't place a name to it.

Suddenly, Kitlyn froze as the reality of the situation slapped her in the face. It was _him_. Not just any "him". _The _him. The man who was responsible for the death of her parents (and almost her own death). Startled and speechless, she took a few steps back, her chest heaving. She placed a hand near her eye, where a long pink scar still remained. The bushes around her seemed to grab her and hold her close, so she could not move. The edges of the forest around her were growing black. Kitlyn ripped away from the plants and stood in the shadows, shaking her entire body, desperately trying to get rid of the horrid feeling she felt inside.

The initial fear that struck her when she first recognized Malevolo soon faded into deep hatred. This was the brute that had destroyed her life when she was just a child. This man caused her to be what she was today. Any fear in her body turned to adrenaline. She decided that she had to do something about the situation. After all, there was no way she was going to let the future rulers of Corona suffer a similar fate to her parents. And there was no way this buffoon was going to get away with it once more.

With fire in her eyes, Kityn took a step towards the fiend.


End file.
